Wayne Cochran, “Last Kiss” Soul Singer, Dead at 78

The Georgia-born so-called “White Knight of Soul” passes after a battle with cancer

Michael Ochs Archives

Wayne Cochran, the Georgia-born rock and soul singer known for his white pompadour and signature song “Last Kiss,” has died. Cochran’s son confirmed the news. He was 78. Cochran’s career began in the 1950s and took off when he recorded his classic car crash ballad “Last Kiss” in 1961. (The song was famously covered by Pearl Jam in 1998.) He was a flashy performer known for wearing capes and rhinestone-studded outfits before Elvis Presley did the same. His band the C.C. Riders featured a young Jaco Pastorius on bass. He walked away from music in the 1970s and became a preacher.